Famous Violinist : Elmar Oliveira

Elmar Oliveira is a famous contemporary violinist from the United States. He recorded great achievements in over 50 years of his violin career, which includes winning top musical awards, being nominated for a Grammy Award and serving on the juries of some of world’s prestigious violin competitions.

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Background of Elmar Oliveira

Born from a family of Portuguese immigrants, Elmar Oliveira began his violin studies at the age of nine, with his brother John. He later furthered his studies under Ariana Bronne, a famous violinist in 1950s, and teacher to hundreds of violinists today, and Raphael Bronstein at the Hartt College of Music and Manhattan School of Music. The two colleges were also where Oliveira received his honorary doctorate from.

Elmar Oliveira also has a glorious list of works which showcased some of the greatest pieces from the Baroque period to the present. Recording companies which has worked with Oliveira includes Artek, Angel, SONY MAsterworks, Vox, Delos, IMP, Naxos, Ondine and Melodiya.

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Achievements of Elmar Oliveira

While Elmar Oliveira has won numerous contests and performed internationally with world renowned orchestras, one achievement that is unique to him is his nomination to the GrammyAwards, for his CD of the Barber Concerto with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony.

He also has a best-selling recording under his belt, the Rautavaara Violin Concerto with the Helsinki Philharmonic. It went on to win a CannesClassicalAward, and got listed on Gramophone’s “Editor’s Choice” and other “Best Recordings” lists around the world.

In 1978, Elmar Oliveira won the Gold Medal at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Competition. Till today, he is the first and onlyAmericanviolinist to win this prestigious award. Oliveira is the first violinist to receive the AveryFisherPrize, one of the most significant awards for American instrumentalists, and the winner of the Naumberg International Competition and the G.B. Dealy Competition.

Elmar Oliveira is also a recipient of the Order of Santiago, Portugal’s highest civilian honor. He is currently a DistinguishedArtist in Residence at the LynnUniversity Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, Florida.

Interesting Facts of Elmar Oliveira

Elmar Oliveira was known for purchasing the antique violin, the 1697 Molitor Stradivarius in 1989 at auction house Christie’s. He played on the million dollar Strad until he had the 1729/30 “Stretton” Guarnerius which he currently performs with.